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The amazing healing powers of Arnica montana

Arnica has probably enticed more people to homeopathy than any other remedy. My first lesson in the amazing feats of Arnica happened many years ago. Someone had given me some Arnica pills in a tiny brown bottle advising me to "Use them in case of an accident." I had no knowledge of homeopathy, and what was told to me concerning the pills made little sense. I put the Arnica in my purse, and forgot about it, being reminded of the little bottle over the years when I rearranged my purse. One summer day, my son Tom received a severe injury to his hand. "Everything is going black Mom!" he moaned. For some reason, I suddenly remembered the little white pills. The neglected pills had by this time turned to powder, so, without much conviction, I dropped a bit of the powder into my son's mouth. Within a few seconds, we were both astonished as the "tunnel vision" disappeared and Tom's color went from deathly pale to a more normal hue. Arnica's healing powers extend to every area of the body. From brain disorders to corns, voice disorders, afflictions of the eyes and ears, convulsions, dizziness, to hiccups. From head injuries to gout, Arnica has proved its healing power. It is the remedy par excellence for bruising, strains, sprains, overexertion, and trauma and is known by the name Fallkraut (fall plant). No wonder it is in such demand for sports injuries! Homeopathic literature abounds with tales of Arnica's feats. This example comes from the Hahnemannian Advocate 1898: A twenty-eight-year-old woman, Mrs. Q, was severely beaten by her "heartless husband." As a result, she developed an excruciating neuralgia in her side and breast. She was given one dose of a high potency of Arnica and wrote the following letter: "My Dear Doctor: I wish it was within my power to express my gratitude to you for the relief your medicine has given me. I had not had a moment's rest from the pain in my breast since I came east until I received your medicine. I put the powder upon my tongue and 'waited' as directed, and up to date have not had a pain and the swelling is all gone also. My heart is much stronger and oh, I do feel so very thankful to you. A gentleman who was present laughingly asked in about ten minutes if the pain was gone and I said yes. He said, 'that beats anything I ever heard of; that Doctor is a witch.'"

Arnica is a versatile remedy, which prevents as well as cures. Thus, it is recommended before surgery, labor, and dental work, and after injuries or blows to the breast or other areas, especially where there is a risk of the future development of cancer. Arnica is the remedy called for in any ailment resulting from trauma, including traumas of years past. In La Matiere Medicale Pratique, Dr. Charette of Nantes wrote of this very interesting case: For seven years after having an operation, a woman was plagued with urinary incontinence. The doctors could find no reason for this, and proceeded to try many means to cure her, without success. In desperation, the woman and her husband tried "electricity, then visited various spas and then took climatic cures, but nothing availed. Next we tried sorcerers, hypnotists, 'wise women' who had 'secrets and cures which cured' and now we have come to homeopathy." Dr. Charette was not impressed to "find myself in the last category of therapeutics and above all annoyed by the tone of raillery M. de B. employed, I had the impulse to take my hat and leave, but I had an inspiration that I could achieve a victory for homeopathy." Dr. Charette told them, "Place one drop of Arnica in a glass of water, stir well for some time, so that the mixture is homogenous, and drink a coffeespoonful three time a day, which must be before meals." "'Is that all?' asked he. 'It is all,' said I. 'And you believe it will cure?' 'It is possible, but I promise nothing,' said I and left laughing heartily at the amazed air of those people whom I never expected to see again." Eight days later, the husband appeared at the doctor's house with joyous news. "My wife is cured, cured of that frightful infirmity which has tortured her for seven years. It is a miracle that you have performed and you do not appear astonished." Dr. Charette replied. "Not at all. It was simple and easy. Any beginner in homeopathy could have done it." And Dr. Charette opened Boericke's Materia Medica to the page that read "Arnica is especially suited to cases where an injury, however remote, seems to have caused the present trouble." As the great English homeopath Dr. James Compton-Burnett (1840--1901) explained, "Homoeopathy cures what can be cured much better than any other system of medicine hitherto made known to the world. The homoeopaths do not maintain that other systems are valueless, or that the homoeopathic system is faultless, only that thus far in the art—treatment of disease by remedies, Homoeopathy, by very long odds, beats all the records."

About the author:Diane Fuller, working as an RN, found homeopathy when one of her children became ill and was cured with homeopathy. She studied homeopathy by correspondence with Misha Norland from the School of Homeopathy in England and then did the two-year HMC course with Lou Klein. She lives and practices in Prince George, B.C., Canada. She can be reached at drfuller@netbistro.com